ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER EMERGENCY
about severe WEATHER EMERGENCY
Severe Weather Emergency is an ongoing project created by Museum of Homelessness. We investigate and publish findings on UK systems of care and how prepared they are to meet the challenges posed by climate change.
In March 2023, we formally began this work by publishing Severe Weather Emergency, a report that pulls together responses from nearly 100 councils about their responses to severe weather.
Read the reports:
background to the investigation
A focus on Severe Weather Emergency Protocol
Within homelessness, extreme weather is handled by an instrument called Severe Weather Emergency Protocol.
Severe Weather Emergency Protocol is a measure that Local Authorities can activate during periods of severe and extreme weather when there is a heightened risk to people’s lives. When it is activated by a Local Council additional effort will be made to ensure people are safe and this will often involve increased local outreach, providing additional bed spaces and other activities.
Up until this investigation, there has been no comprehensive data set on what councils and homelessness charities actually do when they operate SWEP. The purpose of this investigation is to try and change this as climate conditions get worse. Further excellent work on councils and extreme weather response has also been researched by Carbon Brief.
We wanted to produce a more accurate record of what councils and services are actually doing, to see where improvements could be made and to make recommendations for climate emergency preparedness in the UK.
What we found 2020 - 2022
Our investigation, which looked at data from 91 local authorities covering two years of activity, found that:
· More than a quarter of councils did not activate SWEP in the period, or did not could not provide information on what they did in periods of extreme weather.
· 55% of councils provide ‘short burst’ SWEP, often for one or two nights only. People sleeping rough told us that it was not worth going inside for such short periods.
· 50% of councils did not offer follow on support to people
· More people die in summer than in winter, nevertheless only 53% of councils put measures in to respond to extreme heat.
· During the July 2022 heatwave, when temperatures reached 40 degrees, in London and many other cities SWEP was not activated.
· 0% of councils had measures in place for extreme rain or flash flooding.
· We found evidence that SWEP is offered conditionally, when it should be an emergency humanitarian offer, open to all.
· The verification system, where people have to be seen bedding down to receive help is putting lives at risk.
· Problems with Streetlink referrals and outreach response times are putting lives at risk.
What we found 2022 - 2024
· 90% of activations in the 2 years investigated were for cold weather only, highlighting a lack of provision for other forms of extreme weather. There is recent evidence that this may have changed in 2025 for heat though. Very few councils activated SWEP for extreme rain.
· Gatekeeping is the norm for many councils and services. 42% of responding councils used some kind of verification system as a pre-condition to access SWEP. The use of mental health assessments, risk assessments and triaging procedures is normal.
· A particular worry is the use of sit-up services – an offer of a chair for sleeping sitting up – widely criticised by homeless people and campaigners. We found 11 councils offering sit-up services in our investigation.
· Councils still do not communicate well about SWEP. Nearly half of all councils involved do not even mention it on their website, indicating bias and stigma towards a public health issue.
· Despite this, councils are more climate aware. 87% of surveyed councils had introduced different measures for extreme weather – a 13% rise on our last investigation.
· On top of this, nearly two thirds of all councils surveyed had created new policies and procedures in relation to extreme weather conditions. However, they have yet to be implemented.
Toolkit and recommendations: Our latest report offers tools and recommendations for councils and services interested in modifying their existing SWEP policies and procedures (see pages 33-36)
GET INVOLVED
Year round, we work with the findings of this project to campaign for change and we are actively researching and documenting the affects of climate change on homelessness systems.
You can email our Co-Director Matt with any questions (matt@museumofhomelessness.org).